The Consumer Council on Tuesday said telehealth service providers should enhance transparency to boost patients' trust in virtual consultations.

This came as the watchdog found that a majority of the 19 service providers it reviewed did not clearly state the refund arrangements for patients deemed unsuitable for virtual consultations.

Many of them also did not have a common standard on illnesses suitable for telehealth services.

The council's chairman, Clement Chan, said clear information such as the fees charged is crucial to consumers.

"The clarity of information on the telehealth website provided by different providers is of importance to the consumers when they make decisions on choosing which doctors they should go for," he said.

"Then they would be able to make informed decisions if the information about pricing and specialty of the doctor is more clear."

He went on to say that most of the related complaints the council received between 2022 and June this year were caused by the non-delivery of services and refund arrangements.

By surveying users and private medical practitioners offering telehealth services, the watchdog found that both parties were concerned about privacy.

For instance, they were worried that consultations conducted on platforms such as WhatsApp could be tracked.

In this regard, the council suggested traders and communication platforms set up a whitelist.

Chan noted while telehealth services are currently at an initial stage in Hong Kong, usage is expected to rise, particularly due to the ageing population.

"Also with the advancement of technology, I think people will be inclined to use more on the telehealth in order to save time for travelling, for taking time out to go to consult a doctor," he said.

The chairman added that the government should educate the public on how to use virtual consultations and always verify the identity of service providers to avoid getting scammed.